KUALA LUMPUR – Despite facing boycotts, McDonald’s Malaysia aims to open 750 new restaurants nationwide by 2030, creating numerous job opportunities for the people.
Its managing director and local operating partner, Datuk Azmir Jaafar, said that despite the significant challenges of the boycott movement, they remain committed to delivering the best services to the people.
According to him, a single McDonald’s chain provides approximately 50 to 100 job opportunities for the local community, not including local vendors and contractors involved in the restaurant’s construction and maintenance.
“This is McDonald’s Malaysia’s vision, and we will do our best to ensure it becomes reality. Besides focusing on major cities, McDonald’s also seeks opportunities to open restaurants in suburban and rural areas.
“It will give easy access to customers, besides providing greater job opportunities to locals,” he said during the launch of McDonald’s Drive-Thru in Rembau today.
The event was officiated by Negri Sembilan Non-Islamic Affairs and Industry Committee chairman Teo Kok Seong.
It was reported that Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd, the licensee of McDonald’s in Malaysia, had demanded that pro-Palestinian group Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia issue an apology over alleged defamatory statements.
The company had also demanded that BDS pay RM6 million in special damages.
BDS, in a statement, said that it had recently received a writ of summons from McDonald’s Malaysia for allegedly defaming the company.
“We categorically deny this. We have therefore decided to let the court decide on the matter,” said BDS via a statement posted on social media platforms.
Azmir has said that when it comes to the responsibilities of being a Muslim, one cannot evade the discussion on the conflict in Palestine.
“I expressed our support to Palestinians affected by the Gaza bombings. McDonald’s has donated RM1 million to the Palestine Humanitarian Fund initiated under the Prime Minister’s Department recently,” he said.
He also said McDonald’s all over Malaysia had also collected donations amounting to RM100,000, which were given to MyCARE in its efforts to help Palestinians. – January 4, 2024